LRT loses P1-M payroll to robbers

At least P1 million in payroll money was forcibly taken by at least five heavily armed men from employees of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) in a daring heist in New Manila, Quezon City yesterday.

Initial reports reaching the Central Police District (CPD) headquarters in Camp Karingal, Quezon City revealed that the incident took place at around noon along 9th street near the Broadway Centrum in New Manila.

CPD director Chief Superintendent Napoleon Castro said the suspects, who were carrying high-powered firearms, were on board a heavily tinted Mitsubishi Adventure van without license plates.

The suspects’ vehicle blocked the car of Reynaldo Arsenio Olibano and Patricio Clemente, driver and cashier of the LRTA, respectively.

Olibano and Clemente were on board a Mazda vehicle with license plates WBY-305 after coming from a nearby bank, where they had exchanged payroll checks for cash, Castro said.

The CPD chief said that the two LRTA employees were about to head for another bank to deposit the cash when they were blocked by the suspects.

After blocking the LRTA vehicle, the suspects immediately alighted from their van and took the cash from the two stunned employees before speeding off.